Quamina was captured in Africa. He and his son led the Demerara Rebellion in 1823, one of the largest slave revolts in the British colonies. According to historians, Quamina and her mother were captured in Africa around the middle of the 18th century. Her mother died on the plantations in 1817. Quamina had learned to read and write. Thanks to his intelligence, his wisdom, he was respected by several slaves. Quamina met a slave who was freed by her master named Peggy with whom he had his son Jack. As Quamina was under the orders of several masters, many treated him like any slave, humiliated him and beat him. Once he was beaten so badly that he was paralyzed and unable to work for six weeks. His masters forced him to work. In 1822, when Peggy fell seriously ill, he was still forced to work all day, every day. He was forbidden to take care of his wife. One evening he came home and found her dead.
After Peggy's death, Quamina had become very close to her son Jack who had grown up and aspired to be a free man by any means necessary, preparing for rebellion. Quamina respected Jack's ambitions at first but thought it made sense in advising her son and the other slaves not to rebel violently but rather to strike nonviolently. Jack was listened to by many slaves, around 10.000. He made them revolt against their masters. Quamina out of love for her son ended up joining the cause. Jack's age at the time of the rebellion is estimated to be thirty. The rebellion had started in non-violence as Quamina had wanted. The plantation owners and their families were not killed or injured but imprisoned.
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